Genesis 41:14-16
Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Joseph then answered, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
It’s odd how our emotions trick us. If we are in a particular state, we feel like we will stay there forever. Those that are depressed feel like they are stuck there. It’s so convincing that some take their lives. So, also with the high places. I think of Bing Crosby singing Blue Skies. “Blue days, all of them gone. Nothing but blue skies from now on.” Joseph was in prison for years. He woke up that morning, the same as previous mornings. His hopes may been low. Two years earlier, he interpreted the cupbearer dream. It seemed he may get out. After a couple of months, the expectancy lessened.
As we walk with God, our focus can’t be on our emotions. “We walk by faith, not by sight”, 2 Cor. 5:7. In spite of his emotions, Joseph was a man of faith. God wants us to bless us and fill us regardless of our emotions. Even though we walk through the dark valley, He is with us, Ps. 23:4. While we may be down emotionally, His joy still fills us. It’s a constant. Joseph was able to wake up and go about his prison duties with a song in his heart. He knew that God was with him. He had no idea what God had in mind, but he still had the dreams of his youth. God would use him in leadership over his family. Here he is hundreds of miles from his family and several years estranged from them. Yet, he knew God was with him and would do good things. Even if it meant brightening the lives of prisoners, God was with him.
Thank You, God, for your joy and hope. They fill us and keep us going.